Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Google Pixel 2 Users

Google’s new Pixel 2 series is full of new features and customization options. There are nifty tricks – featuring a smart camera or the painless way to see what song is currently playing, you just have to know where to look. Here are the top 5 tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL smartphone.

Now Playing

With the Pixel 2 nearby, all you have to do is look near the bottom of your display to find out the name of the music playing around you. Now Playing feature listens for music, and then identifies the song, without ever transmitting any information to Google’s servers. Don’t worry, its all done on the device, privately and securely.

Now Playing is also an optional feature. To enable it, go to Settings > Security & location > Lock screen preferences > Now Playing. Tap on the switch to turn the feature On.

Squeeze Edge

When squeezing the bottom half of the Pixel 2, you will immediately launch Google Assistant. This is regardless of whether the phone is locked or if you’re in another app.

Choosing to squeeze it soft or hard can be adjusted. There’s a customize action supported as well, by using “Active Edge” included in the search bar. If you’d rather tap your way to the settings page, then open Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > Assist & voice input > Active edge (way too many taps).

At a glance information

The home screen of the Pixel launch also has a new section which is called “At a glance.” If you unlock your phone, you’ll notice the current date and the weather conditions at the position where the Google search bar used to reside.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to move or completely disable this new feature, but you can definitely control what information it will display. Long-press on the “At a glance” section of the screen, then tap on Preferences when the button pops up.

Use the new search bar

You may have noticed the search bar at the bottom of the Pixel 2’s screen. It’s easier to get to, especially if you’re using a large screen device, but it’s also kind of annoying.

Sadly, you can’t move it, nor can you turn it off. However, it can be used to search for apps on your device, instead of swiping up and going through the app drawer.

Google Lens

Google Lens is a new feature from Google that will be able to identify objects in your photos. It’s like Google Image search, right on your phone. It’s exclusive to the Pixel 2, for now at least.

You can use it in the photos app. After taking a photo, or if you just want to experiment with old photos, launch the Google Photos app, select a picture, then tap on the Lens logo along the bottom. It will give you what it thinks is the best search results.